LANSING, Mich — A Lansing business owner says rapidly shifting tariff rates are crippling small companies nationwide and he wants the federal government to refund those companies.
- The Supreme Court struck down global reciprocal tariffs last Friday but President Donald Trump signed an executive order over the weekend enacting 15% global tariffs for the next 150 days.
- Senate Democrats proposed legislation on Monday to refund tariffs paid by importers, but a Michigan State University supply chain expert says businesses should not expect a quick payout.
- Silver Lead Company president Dan O'Leary says tariff rates on his products shifted from 10% to 15% in a matter of days, leaving him unable to plan pricing, new products, or shipping decisions.
WATCH: LANSING BUSINESS OWNER SEEKS REFUNDS AS TARIFF RATES SHIFT
Silver Lead Company has spent decades importing arts and crafts supplies from around the world and shipping them to customers nationwide. But the company's president Dan O'Leary says rising costs tied to changing tariffs are making it nearly impossible to plan ahead.
"I have no way to plan this. Is it going to be 15%? Is it going to be zero?" O'Leary said.
O'Leary says tariff rates on his products shifted from 10% to 15% in a matter of days. The instability, he says, is creating serious questions about the future of his business.
WATCH: LANSING HOME BUILDER ADJUSTS STRATEGY AMID CHANGES IN TARIFFS
Last Friday, the Supreme Court struck down global reciprocal tariffs enacted by the Trump Administration in 2025. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump signed an executive order enacting 15% global tariffs for the next 150 days.
Jason Miller, a professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University, says the back-and-forth is leaving businesses in a difficult spot.
"We're now back to a tremendous degree of uncertainty about tariffs whereas last week at this time we had much more certainty about what was taking place," Miller said.
WATCH: ST. JOHNS SHOP NAVIGATING TARIFF UNCERTAINTY ON PARTS
Miller anticipates companies pausing purchases amid questions over which nations would see tariff reductions and increases.
"These parties are waiting to find out what is the White House actually thinking. So they themselves are waiting for certainty," Miller said.
Senate Democrats proposed legislation Monday to refund tariffs paid by importers. When I asked O'Leary whether refunds are something his company is considering, his answer was direct.
"Absolutely I deserve it. We wrote the check. We deserve the money back. Absolutely," O'Leary said.
WATCH: BUSINESSES STARE DOWN MORE TARIFF UNCERTAINTY AS TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING
But Miller says it remains unclear how the refund process will play out — and that it will likely involve significant paperwork and time.
"I would not expect next week or the week after that that all of a sudden an IEEPA tariff refund check is going to be hitting your bank account," Miller said.
O'Leary says the current environment is unlike anything he has experienced in his years of running the business.
"Never, never," O'Leary said. "I can't afford the tariff or the instability of it all."
The uncertainty is already affecting business decisions. O'Leary has a shipment of craft boxes from Colombia on hold, unsure whether to buy now, later, or not at all.
"It's a weird place to be," O'Leary said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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